Apprenticeships for business

The Centre for Apprenticeships, Skills and Employability (CASE) at the University of Salford are here to support you throughout your apprenticeship journey. From admissions and onboarding to ongoing support throughout the apprenticeship, we are here to make the process as smooth as possible. We can even help you to advertise your vacancies if you are looking to recruit new staff. We’re a small team, but we are all passionate about what we do and committed to ensuring both you, the employer and the apprentice themselves have the best possible experience.

To find out more about working with us, email apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk, or fill out the contact us form.

Health, Society and Science

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Construction and Engineering

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Educate North Apprenticeship Award Winners

At the University of Salford, we're proud to have received the Apprenticeship Award at the Educate North Awards 2026, recognising our commitment to delivering career-focused education that makes a real impact across our region and beyond.

This achievement reflects the strength of our employer partnerships, the dedication of our colleagues, and the success of our apprentices as they develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their industries.

Find out more about the Educate North 2026 Awards

Our Ofsted rating

In 2024, Ofsted inspected our apprenticeship provision and has confirmed our grading outcome as Good. This outcome is a testament to the hard work, commitment, and dedication of colleagues and employers in supporting our apprentices to develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours, whilst having the best apprenticeship experience possible.

Amongst the findings, our strengths include:

Highly qualified and experienced staff
Individual Learning Model to plan personalised curriculums
High-quality resources
Collaborative working with employers.

Read the full Ofsted report

Our programmes

We offer undergraduate and postgraduate apprenticeship programmes across a range of subject areas, including Construction, Engineering, Health, Science and Digital. Browse the list below for more details.

Our programmes

Construction and engineering

Health and Society

Science

Biomedical Scientist |BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

CertHE AI and Automation Practitioner

National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week is our opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Salford apprentices and the positive impact they are having on their communities, workplaces, and the wider economy. This year, we had a lot to celebrate as we've seen our apprenticeship provision continue to grow and develop, in part due to the over half a million pounds in funding we received from the Office for Students. Watch our video to see how we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week or visit our webpage to learn more.

Learn more about National Apprenticeship Week

Staff hugging and celebrating at the Apprenticeship Awards ceremony

How does funding work?

The apprenticeship levy was introduced in April 2017 and now requires all employers operating in the UK, with a pay bill of over £3 million annually, to invest in apprenticeships. Once payments have been declared to HMRC, employers will have access to a digital apprenticeship account from which they can access funding to pay for apprenticeship training.

Through the Apprenticeship Service, employers can manage apprenticeship funding, select an approved training provider, add apprentices, approve training costs and monitor their funds. They can also advertise apprenticeship vacancies through the Government's 'Find an apprenticeship' service.

Levy Transfers

Levy-paying employers can transfer up to 50% of their annual levy funds to other eligible employers. These transfers can help organisations that do not have sufficient apprenticeship funding and support skills development across supply chains, business partners and local communities.

Find out more about apprenticeship funding.

Non-levy paying organisations

Employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy can also access Government funding to train apprentices through the Apprenticeship Service. Non-levy employers create an Apprenticeship Service account to manage their apprenticeships, work with an approved training provider and reserve funding before training begins. The service enables employers to add apprentices, approve training costs and monitor the progress of their apprenticeships in one place.

Government funding is available for eligible apprenticeships, with employers typically contributing a proportion of the training costs in line with the current apprenticeship funding rules. Smaller employers may be eligible for additional funding support in certain circumstances.

Reserving Funding

Non-levy employers should reserve apprenticeship funding through their Apprenticeship Service account before an apprentice starts training. A reservation secures funding for the apprenticeship and should be used within the timeframe specified by the Apprenticeship Service. If the reservation expires before it is used, a new reservation will need to be made, subject to funding availability.

FAQs

If you want to learn more about apprenticeships, take a look through our frequently asked questions. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please contact us using apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk

Information on safeguarding and our British values statement:

Choose your question

Who pays the apprentice's training costs?

Training costs are covered by levy funds in your digital account. Non-levy payers can receive 95% towards training costs from the Government via the co-investment model. Due to the nature of apprenticeships and how they are funded, apprentices will not be eligible for student finance - this includes tuition fee loans and maintenance loans.

Who recruits the apprentice?

As the employer, you are ultimately responsible for posting apprenticeship opportunities and deciding who you want for the position. We are also on hand to help with recruitment, ensuring you get the best person for the position.

Will the apprentice learn skills and knowledge that is relevant to my business?

Yes, you will be able to inform the course by working with us on the programme's design and delivery.

Who is eligible for an apprenticeship?

Anyone over the age of 16 can apply for an apprenticeship as long as they meet the relevant entry criteria for the apprenticeship.

What apprenticeships are available at the University of Salford?

We currently offer a range of higher and degree apprenticeships in construction, engineering, science health & society. Scroll up for more details on the programmes we offer and the courses we're developing. If you want to find out more about developing your workforce, please contact apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk

How much time will the apprentice spend at work and at university?

Apprentices spend 80% of their time in at work and 20% in university. We have a range of course delivery modes including day-release, block delivery and online learning. The mode of study will depend on the programme the apprentice is on.

How long do apprenticeships take to complete?

This is dependent upon the programme, but apprentices typically complete their degree within one to five years. Apprentices then have up to 12 months after graduation to complete their end-point assessment.

Who pays the apprentice's wage?

As the employer, you will pay the apprentice's wage, holiday pay, pension and any other benefits your employees receive. The funding you receive from the government (or the levy payments you choose to use) can only be used to cover training costs, not wages or any other benefits. Apprentices must be an employee on the first day of their apprenticeship.

Where can I get more information about apprenticeships?

To find out more about working with us, contact apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk , or visit the UK Governments further and higher education, skills and vocational training page.

English and Maths Requirements for Apprenticeships

Recent government reforms have introduced greater flexibility around English and maths requirements for apprentices aged 19 and over. Apprentices are no longer automatically required to achieve a standalone Level 2 English and/or Maths qualification to complete their apprenticeship where it is not considered necessary for their training plan. However, apprentices must still develop the English and maths skills required for their occupation.

As a university delivering degree-level apprenticeships, we consider a range of factors when assessing applicants, including:

Professional Body Requirements
Some professions and regulatory bodies may continue to require Level 2 English and/or Maths (or equivalent qualifications) as part of their standards or registration requirements.

Academic Entry Standards
Degree apprenticeships are academically demanding. In line with our admissions policies, we may require Level 2 English and Maths (or equivalent) to ensure apprentices have the skills needed to succeed in higher-level study.

Learner Success
Strong foundations in English and maths support apprentices in engaging effectively with academic study, assessments and workplace learning.

While employers play an important role in apprenticeship recruitment and development, the university remains responsible for setting appropriate entry requirements for its programmes to ensure apprentices are prepared for success.

For further guidance, contact the Apprenticeship Service Unit at apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk.

Application deadlines

Please be aware of the application deadlines below for each of our intakes. If an application hasn’t been received by this date, consideration will be given for the next available intake. Please be advised this is a deadline for a full application to be made. A request for services form will have to be completed prior to the application form being shared.

These dates allow us sufficient time to draw up and issue the employer evidence pack (contract etc.). Please also be aware that we will need to receive the completed employer evidence pack back prior to the apprentice starting the programme.

January 2027 Intake - The application deadline is Friday 27 November 2026
March 2027 Intake - The application deadline is Friday 20 March 2027
April 2027 Intake - The application deadline is Friday 19 March 2027
September 2027 Intake – The application deadline is Friday 31 July 2027

Contact

To contact the Apprenticeship Service Unit email apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk, or complete the apprenticeship contact us form.

If your organisation is one of our partner employers for apprenticeships, please head over to our employer hub, where you will find up-to-date and relevant information relating to apprenticeships.

Alternatively, if you are ready to formalise your request to work with the University of Salford for your apprenticeship training, please complete our request for services form.